Want to get noticed and get hired? Here are 4 things clients look for when hiring a freelancer
When it comes to forging out your freelancing career, you will soon come to realise that if you want to land a recurring gig, you are going to need to establish and nurture relationships with your clients. The solopreneur lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular, which has led to the industry becoming more and more saturated. This makes it harder to get noticed, get jobs, and get paid.
But this doesn’t mean that you should sit modestly in the wings waiting for your turn to earn. What it does mean is that you need to be proactive in your approach. One way to give yourself a leg up is to get inside the mind of a client to understand what they are looking for when hiring a freelancer. And because time — even time spent trying to figure out your clients — is money, we’ve done the homework for you. With that, here are four things that people look for when employing a freelancer so that you can impress that pants off them.
1. Be professional
This should come as no surprise, but right there at the top of the list of what clients want in their freelance contractors is that they conduct themselves professionally. Being warm, open and prompt in your communication is key, as is ensuring that you produce high-quality work that meets expected deadlines. At the end of the day, you are hired to do a job, and it’s crucial that you do it timeously and to the best of your magic-making ability.
2. Be easy
No, get your mind out of the gutter! What this means when it comes to your business relationship is that clients like to employ people who make their lives easier. People often seek out the services of a freelancer to handle their excess workload and to help streamline the production process. So while it’s important to ask enough questions to understand the job at hand, try to be concise and refrain from being overly needy. It’s not a good look.
3. Be reliable
Since it’s now been established that clients prefer to work with people who can unburden them rather than add to their enormous load, it should go without saying that reliability is something they value. And while you might think that this is something that can only be proven when you succeed in meeting your deadline, think again. This is why having glowing testimonials that speak to your skills and work ethic is so important (as well as a pimping portfolio that is up to date and easy to access).
4. Be results-driven
Your portfolio or work samples can give prospective clients an idea of your skill level. But if you are just one of many brilliant bodies of work, what is going to make them pick you? Clients want to feel that you can add value and that you would be invested in the outcome or success of the project. When pitching, let employers know what you can do for their brand or business, with samples of similar things you have done in the past. This will show them that you are able to see the bigger picture and are well-equipped to help them achieve their business goals.
